This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Obama pledges support for flooded Louisiana ‘even after cameras leave’

Obama has been criticized for waiting until after he returned from his New England vacation to tour the Gulf Coast flooding.

▶

President Barack Obama toured the flood damage and met with families in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana Tuesday. He said the nation is 'heartbroken' over the loss of life during the flooding.

By Kevin FrekingThe Associated Press

Tues., Aug. 23, 2016

Standing amid piles of waterlogged debris, President Barack Obama on Tuesday promised a sustained national effort to rebuild flood-ravaged southern Louisiana “even after the TV cameras leave” on a visit aimed in part at stemming campaign-season criticism that he’s been slow to respond to the disaster.

As he toured a battered neighbourhood and spoke to local officials, Obama tried to buck up beleaguered residents of the water-soaked region.

“This is not a one-off, this is not a photo-op issue,” Obama said. “I need all Americans to stay focused on this ... I know you will rebuild again.”

Obama’s visit was a reminder of the political dangers and opportunities that natural disasters can pose. The president has been criticized for waiting until after he returned from his New England vacation to tour the Gulf Coast flooding. The timing, amid a heated presidential campaign, drew barbs from some local officials and Republicans political opponents, including GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Trump visited Baton Rouge on Friday, enjoying a warm reception and allowing him to cast the president as golfing while Louisianans suffered. It was a sentiment echoed by many in the area, many of whom have said they feel their plight has been ignored by the media.

Article Continued Below

“Too little too late,” Mona Gaspard said of Obama’s visit. The resident of Ascension Parish said she saw her home filled with 4 feet (1.2 metres) of water and resented what she saw from Obama. “I saw him play golf, not helping out over here. Trump was over here, but he wasn’t,” she said.

U.S. President Barack Obama embraces Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards after touching down in Baton Rouge. The president drew criticism for refusing to break his vacation to visit the disaster zone in Louisiana, but the White House has called the government’s response to the flooding robust. (JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS)

Others were far less critical.

“It means a lot to know you have that support from the highest level,” said Chrisena Brown, as the president surveyed the piles of discarded mattresses, broken appliances and heaps of clothing that line the curbs of her street. The college administrator says she’s staying with family while she cleans up, working late into the night in stifling humidity.

Going door to door and trailed by cameras, Obama offered sympathy to residents as they took a break from the cleanup.

“I wish I was coming at a better time,” he told one resident, as he put his arm around her and walked into her home for a brief tour. “But I’m glad to see everybody is safe, at least.”

Obama is hardly new to the potent politics of natural disasters. As a candidate in 2008, he was a leading critic of President George W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina. And in 2012, the year of his re-election effort, he rushed to Louisiana to show solidarity with victims of Hurricane Isaac.

Now a president eying the end of his second term, Obama was neither emotional nor particularly defensive in relaying his message to residents. He said flatly he doesn’t “worry too much about politics” and that he is focused on improving the speed and efficiency of the federal response.

The White House said $127 million (U.S.) in federal aid had been designated for temporary rental assistance, essential home repairs, and flood insurance payments. More than 115,000 people have registered for federal disaster aid, with the state saying $20 million has been distributed to individuals so far. At least 40 state highways remained closed.

Louisiana officials aimed for bipartisan support and unity as they turned to the task of rounding up federal money for their state. A large group of officials met the president at the airport, including Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat; Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, a Republican; and Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and David Vitter.

In a letter to Obama, Edwards asked the president to reduce Louisiana’s share of the response costs from 25 per cent to 10 per cent, to fully cover the Louisiana National Guard’s response costs and to seek disaster block grant aid for the state from Congress.

The governor estimated flooding has ravaged “well over 100,000 homes” across south Louisiana — on top of 29,000 homes that received damage in a March flood in northern parts of the state.

Edwards had said Obama was better off timing his visit until after the cleanup was underway, so as not to pull resources away from the effort. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton issued a statement Monday saying she would visit “at a time when the presence of a political campaign will not disrupt the response, to discuss how we can and will rebuild together.”

Before leaving Louisiana, Obama paid another visit he has been criticized for delaying. The president met privately with the family of Alton Sterling, a black man whose death last month in a police shooting sparked protests and mass arrests. Obama also met with the families of officers killed or injured nearly two weeks later by a gunman, apparently in response to Sterling’s killing, the White House said.

Obama was criticized for not visiting Baton Rouge after those two incidents. He later went to Dallas instead to eulogize five police officers killed in another attack targeting law enforcement.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com